Curry and KD both get 30 for 2nd time as Warriors hold off Blazers
The Golden State Warriors hold the NBA’s best record and therefore only deal with problems that most teams would love to have. Nevertheless, back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry’s drop in form this season has proven cause for some concern. The one-of-a-kind offensive force has understandably seen his scoring average fall after the addition of Kevin Durant this summer, but Curry has also looked uncomfortable at times and has seemingly lost his superhuman ability to make tough shots off the dribble. Curry is still capable of huge nights, and the Warriors are still very difficult to defend, but the issue is there.
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It wasn’t much of a problem during Wednesday night’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Curry (35 points on 12-of-25 FG and 5-of-13 3FG) and Durant (30 on 9-of-16 FG) both scored more than 30 points for the first time since November 16 and the second time this season as the Warriors pulled away late to beat the feisty Blazers 125-117.
The highlights and raw numbers are perhaps kinder to Curry than the totality of Wednesday’s game. He committed five turnovers, made several questionable passes, and still lacked the wow factor that seemed present every night of his instantly legendary 2015-16 season. At the same time, Curry had scored at least 30 points only two other times since the end of November, right around when Durant began to announce himself as the most dangerous force in the Golden State offense. On some level, scoring 35 points with just-under-50-percent shooting is a positive indicator for his potential transformation back into a dominant presence.
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Whether the Warriors need him to play that way is another question. While Curry led the team in scoring, Durant was clearly their most effective player. In addition to his very efficient scoring, KD added three blocks and logged a game-high plus-22 in 38 minutes. His ability to thrive without taking many shots continues to provide the Warriors with options they lacked last season.
This performance was not one of Golden State’s best. After taking a 13-point lead just over three minutes into the second quarter, the Warriors began to lessen their defensive effort and allowed the Blazers to get back into things despite playing without Damian Lillard for the fifth-straight game. C.J. McCollum dominated the first half, scoring 21 points on 10-of-19 shooting in a star performance.
The Warriors won in large part because McCollum shot just 3-of-12 after the break to get to 35 points. That defense improvement was headed by Durant and Draymond Green, who served as the primary facilitator at the other end while Curry took on a primary scoring role. It wasn’t a terrific showing, but the Warriros got the job done.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
